Not the Same Man
by Nebriniel Peredhil
Summary: '"And then the monster latched it's great teeth to the prince's collarbone.It lifted the prince off his feet and took it's spiked tail and stabbed the prince in his gut..."Merlin said in a solemn voice as if it were a child's terrifying ghost story... "...But they knew he would never be the same."Merlin finished turning sad eyes to the deadly silent audience he had earned.'
1. Chapter 1

A girl the age of 13 breathed heavy as she ran. Her brown hair flew behind her as her hands clutched her skirts keeping herself from tripping. She had left so quickly none of her knights knew, but the horrid reality that it was still after her caused her to leave suddenly.

The beating of wings and the smell of smoke caused her to run faster than she ever had. She was willing herself to run though her legs seemed to burn. She could hear the faint calls of her knights. "Maria! Maria!" She ignored them and kept runing they would know where to find her it was a plan they so strategically planed. A safe spot to go to when in need. Camelot.

The sky opened and the rain pored down on her. Her messy bed head hair was being flattened, it stuck against her face and neck. Once again the beating of wings sounded she pushed on harder. The border of Camelot. Then a root of a tree that stuck out far into the trail caused her to trip. She landed hard on her knees and hands as pain shot through her arms.

"Broken?" she asked herself. She tried to move it then was shocked with a searing pain

"diffidently broken." She got to her feet again and ran. She made a day's journey in less than an a few hours. Exhausted her lungs burning and legs on fire she walked. The city of Camelot was in view and slowly she walked foreword. The knights that stood guard at the city gate had a shocked look when they saw her. She really looked bad.

"I need to see the king." she whispered.

"I'll take you to see the physician first." one of the guards said. Maria shook her head.

"no, I must see the king." She said reviling a silver necklace that was the crest of Caledonia her kingdom. The guard's eyes widened and he escorted her to the palace.

Merlin crept into Arthur's chambers on time, for the first time in ages. He crept over to the curtains and threw them open. "GOOD MORNING SIRE!" Merlin shouted startling the prince out of his bed. Arthur landed hard on his stomach on the cold stone floor.

Arthur looked up at Merlin who had an idiotic grin on his face.

"You know Arthur most people sleep on there beds not the floor." Merlin said cheekily. Arthur shot the most deadly glare he could muster.

"Shut up _Mer_lin." Arthur hissed. Merlin smiled.

"I'll go get your breakfast." he said cheerfully.

Merlin walked to the kitchens sneaking an apple into his pocket he grabbed Arthur's breakfast. A guard swept past him and went straight to the cook.

"I need something very hot. We have a cold injured princess waiting in the throne room." The guard said.

"I don't know what would be hot enough fit for a princess?" The cook said.

"Try porridge. It's hot and with enough sugar it can be fit for a princess." Merlin suggested. The two looked at him. The cook nodded and started making it as the knight continued to sate.

"Your Arthur's servant?" He asked. Merlin nodded

"The prince is needed in the throne room." the guard said, Merlin nodded turned and started to the door. "And Merlin!" the guard called after him, "Thank you." Merlin smiled and continued to Arthur's chambers.

"I hope you're good at multitasking because you need to eat and change really quickly." Merlin said walking into Arthur's chambers.

"And why is that _Mer_lin?" Arthur asked.

"Because you're needed in the throne room... now." Merlin said shrinking under the glare of the prince. Arthur stood grabbed a slice of ham then went behind the changing screen. A minute later he appeared fully changed and ready to go.

Maria stood weak-legged in-front of the king of Camelot. She was muddy and her dress was torn. Not to mention her wrist was still broken. But this could not wait. She needed shelter and protection till her Knights could care for her. Another man came into the room, he had blonde hair and a golden circuit around his head. He was the prince she was sure of it, the way the king acknowledged him it was no one other than Prince Arthur crown prince of Camelot. But there was another man, he walked in and slid into the shadows. Maria wanted nothing else but run over to him and throw her arms around him, he was her brother. She knew she could not do so, so she shifted her weight from one foot to another and kept quiet waiting silently for her brother's direction. No one said a word.

"What is your name?" Prince Arthur spoke up.

Maria shyly looked up, "Maria." she whispered.

"Well Maria can you tell us what happened?" the prince asked. She glanced over to her brother who was rubbing his neck, his sign of no.

"I just need shelter and protection till my knights can arrive. They should be her in at most a day." she said looking over her shoulder to the door to see if they had come yet. She reluctantly looked back at the two royals.

"can you tell us what you need protection from?" Uther asked. Her brother showed no sign of his will, so she took that as a yes.

"there's a... monster you could call it. It's flesh is naught but smoke but it is a real a you or I. It was created by dark magic. There were 7 people there when it first came. The one who created it, myself and two of my guards, my brother and two of his knights." She said. A sudden wave of faint passed over her as she swayed on her feet.

Merlin watched as the princess started to sway. Slowly he left his comfortable spot against the wall and made his way slowly to the girl. Suddenly her knees gave out and she started yo fall. Merlin was there in seconds catching her head before it could hit the hard marble floor. Merlin lowered her to the ground.

"Gaius." Merlin called but he did not need to call loudly. Gaius was already coming to check on the girl. He was on his knees. There where whispers and murmurs in the crowed of royals.

"Gaius give me my medicine." Merlin said in a soft, commanding voice. Arthur had made his way next to the three and he too was kneeling next to the girl.

"Merlin you'll need it first."

"No. Gaius." Merlin said short and commanding. His voice brought even more silence to the room. Merlin held his hand out waiting.

"It will call her first she will need it." Merlin said softly. Gaius then reluctantly pulled on there chain of a necklace that was around his neck. Slowly a vial appeared at the end of the chain. Gaius took off the chain and necklace and placed it in Merlin's hand. Merlin opened the vial and pored it down the princess's thought.

Merlin brushed a stray hair out of the princess's face.

"And then the monster latched it's great teeth to the prince's collarbone. It lifted the prince off his feet and took it's spiked tail and stabbed the prince in his gut. After drawing a great deal of blood the monster dropped the prince and turned to the panicked girl the knights were trying to drag out of the room. With a flash of smoke the monster stabbed the girl in her chest, and she dropped. The prince's knights grabbed the two royals and ran from the room trying to escape the traitor, the king's best friend, the creator of the nameless monster." Merlin said in a solemn voice as if it were a child's terrifying ghost story. Everyone felt the sudden chill in the air as Merlin stood and walked to the window and looked out.

"the knights made camp miles away from the palace. But they knew not the power of the monster. The one knight wrapped the prince's bleeding form and the princess's bleeding chest the thought the worst was over but then it happened. A great screech hit the air. It forced the knights to cover their ears in effort to keep the sound from deafening them. When the sound was over they looked to their prince who lay on the ground writhing. The monster's call. Pain unimaginable to any man. It lasted for hours. The knights trying to calm the man they knew to be the strongest out of them and when it was finally over the prince was never the same. He did not eat, he did not laugh, he slept through the day and was awake during the night. His men watched as he changed. Trying to comfort him through his struggles. And eventually he went back as they found a new home in a small border town in another kingdom. But they knew he would never be the same." Merlin finished turning sad eyes to the deadly silent audience he had earned. He took a deep breath and sighed.

"the knights are here and being escorted by the guards." Merlin said. Still no one made a sound. Gaius stood.

"we'll need more medicine I'll go and prepare some." Gaius said as he turned and walked out.

"Merlin?" Arthur's voice snapped Merlin back to reality.

"Yes, sire?" Merlin asked.

"What was that?" Arthur asked, what ever side of Merlin that was.. it scared him.

"nothing." Merlin said blowing it off. It sure as hell wasn't nothing.

AN)

If anyone is wondering why I chose the name Caledonia it is because of what it is today. Scotland. I know Colin Morgan is from Ireland but to be honest I love Scotland it is the ideal picture for a peaceful beautiful kingdom. So Caledonia, otherwise known as Scotland.

What do I have planed next? Well keep reading.

word count 1,699


	2. Inportant notice

After much thinking I have chose to discotinue this story. I feel that my plot is too similer to that of Mark of royalty. I hope you understand me and will continue to read my stories. I am planing on writing another to replace this with the same title. Feel free to read it as well


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